This page (like others in the Useless Trivia space) exist to provide analysis and review of computer security in films. Reviews of usernames and passwords used in these films will be mentioned as they can be found and identified.

Chain Reaction: Conspiracy, Thriller, Suspense

Not much in the way of computer ownership in this movie.

Noted trivia:

When Keanu's character (Eddie) stumbles upon the harmonic effects of a partcular frequency, he records it on a digital, sampling keyboard. From this he plays it back to verify he can reproduce the same effect with the same frequency. Trivia here? The note he presses on his keyboard to play the sampled frequency is "G" or more specifically, "the first G below middle-C," or, "low G."

The movie seems to try to base the idea of cheap energy on "Cold Fusion" (by reference and example) but the technologies they seem to be trying to create involve finding a new technique to break the bonds between Hydrogen and Oxygen in water. Hydrolysis has been around for quite a while. *shrug*

When he tries to shutdown the system he appears to press, "h", "a", "(Return)". (Watch his right-hand's index finger, and his left-hand's pinkie finger.) This would suggest a 2 character password of "ha" (only half-way funny) or two keystroke for issuing a command to their system.

After (what we think is supposed to be) his attempt to shut down the system, he gets a nifty message in the GUI over-painting the metrics of the project that is out of control:

Eddie's friend makes a call from William's Bay and Morgan Freeman's character (Shannon) is able to click a few buttons on his end to "scramble the call." Weird. How would it be possible to scramble a call over a public telephone system if only one end has "encryption" or "scrambling equipment" while the other ends cannot "decrypt" or "descramble" the altered signal? (Labels on the "scrambling box": "SCRAMBLE" "LINE DROP" "MONITOR" "CLEAR")

By associating with homeless, he is able to take advantage of the disadvantage offered to the "invisible people" in a population. (Reference made to any group of people who are ignored when met in person.) (Sometimes races, religion, profession, as well as social and economic background, can cause large parts of a population to ignore or at least not look at them.

Eddie becomes an opportunists as he notes an unlocked police car is parked in front of a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Eddie uses the computer in the car to perform a license plate lookup. Though it may not be a password or username (though it could be a form of credential) in order to gain access to the license plate database, he has to enter "1832/8251" into a filed called "BEAT/STAR:" as well as the license plate number "CQ493" with a state of "DC".

Eddie manages to grab a uniform and badge for the operational group's site of direction and testing. (This is the same group that orchistrated the destruction of Eddie's lab.) He is able to use this to gain access to the facility without being questioned or confronted. (Wear the clothes and act like you belong there.)

While Eddie is engineering a fix to the project at the operational group's site, he uses a computer and we see this rather humorous information on a screen: (You will note the up-close screen shot they have in the movie is not hte same screen that he was looking at when the camera was further away.)

The caption at the bottom is entertaining: "There is a risk" (ok) "program suggests to manually use an automatic shutdown" (what?) "probably, likely to have destructive hydrogen levels" (huh? probably likely?) "suggest shutting down the biohazard containment system" (DOH! Shutdown the system that could contain a biohazard? Gah!)

Another screen shot offers us a view of his system in a, "computer model form."

Shannon disables the containment systems before he leaves to let Eddie and FIXME get out. He enters a keycode to disable to containment system. (999254) If you listen to the beeps and look at where his finger is pointing when the beeps are heard, then you know 9 is pressed 3 times-- according to the film. (I Realized sound effects are often added in post production.)

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